Fourteen three year olds converge in the Italy for this Saturday’s Grade One Italian Derby. The race will be run at one mile and one half over a good turf course and the purse is $750,000. None of the horses running in this spot have experience over the distance and many have never run over an off track making this a wide open affair. Let’s take a look at them.

#1 Dark Silver Add 16/1
2017 Record – 3-1-0-0
Highest Level Win – Listed
Pedigree – by Monaco Counsul out of the Smarty Jones x Adjuticating mare Silver Ad. The youngest of her four foals also the only stakes winner.
Analysis – Dark Silver Add began the year with a strong wire to wire victory in a listed at one mile. The race was run on an off track and he earned a career best speed of 97. Since then he was tenth in a grade three at one mile and then tenth again in the mile and one half Grade One Sydney Derby. He did not come anywhere near the early lead in either of those starts. The off track here might help him move up but he needs to show a complete reversal of recent form to factor.

#2 Bummer of A Summer 7/1
2017 Record – 3-1-2-0
Highest Level of Win – Listed
Pedigree – by Darci Brahma out of the grade one winning Storm Cat x Mr. Prospector mare Cruel Summer. Cruel Summer never ran beyond a mile and three sixteenths and did her best running closer to a mile. She has produced five foals to race, the three oldest foals are all stakes placed, Bummer of a Summer is the only stakes winner.
Analysis – Bummer of a Summer is making his graded debut in this spot. In his last two starts he won a listed at a mile and one sixteenth in March and was second in a mile and one eighth listed in April. He ran 98 and 97 speeds respectively in those races. He’s never run further than that mile and one eighth race and he’s never tried an off course before. He’s a horse who usually sits well off the pace but he’ll need to keep in touch with the leaders and not fall too far behind here.

#3 Sealandia Wisen 23/1
2017 Record – 2-0-1-0
Highest Level of Win – Allowance
Pedigree – by Wiesenpfad out of the Sulamani x Galileo mare Warwhatisitgoodfor. This is her first stakes placed runner from four foals.
Analysis – Sealandia Wisen is taking a lot of chances in this race. It is his first route start, his first graded start and his first start on an off track. His best race came in his 2017 debut when he finished second by a neck in a seven and one half furlong listed. He ran a career best 94 speed in that start where he closed from last to just miss the win. He ran back under the same conditions in his next start, again falling back early but failing to mount a rally in the stretch. Stranger things have happened in the sim but a win by this guy would be a big windfall for his connections.

#4 Tete Cittagazze 7/1
2017 Record – 4-2-0-2
Highest Level of Win – Allowance
Pedigree – by Shamardal out of the grade three winning Teofilo x Cozzene mare Tete Felicia. Tete Felicia scored her biggest win at a mile and one quarter but raced well at this distance and even hit the board in longer races. This is her only foal. Tete Felicia was produced by a grade one winning mare who won at distances up to a mile and one quarter but did not hit the board in any tries at longer distances.
Analysis – Tete Cittagazze broke his maiden in his second start over a good turf track. He ran career best 96 speeds in a February allowance at a mile and three sixteenths and again in his most recent start, a listed at a mile and one quarter. His pedigree suggests that the distance is in reach but jumping up in class, especially after only being stakes placed is a big task.

#5 Moon’s Lakehouse 11/1
2017 Record – 3-2-0-1
Highest Level of Win – Allowance
Pedigree – by Malibu Moon out of the stakes winning Dynaformer x Sadler’s Wells mare Constance. Constance won up to a mile and one quarter on the turf, she never raced farther. This is her only foal.
Analysis – Moon’s Lakehouse made his debut over a yielding surface where he finished fifth. It is difficult to say whether the track was to blame for that performance as it was run at six furlongs and his form has improved in route races. He’s won his last two starts, a maiden and an allowance race with 95 and 97 speeds respectively. The maiden came at a mile and one sixteenth which is the furthest distance he’s ever run. This is a difficult spot to make a stakes debut, especially considering he is also adding a ton of distance. The pedigree potential is there for a distance runner but until he does it it’s just potential.

#6 Global Horn 7/2
2017 Record – 3-2-1-0
Highest Level of Win – G2
Pedigree – by Golden Horn out of the Kingmambo x Rahy mare Global King. This is her third graded winning foal after a grade three winner by Mineshaft and another by Street Cry.
Analysis – Global Horn has really turned a corner this year. He was a solid two year old but looks like he may be an exceptional three year old. He’s won his last two starts, a listed at a mile and one sixteenth and the Grade Two South African Classic at a mile and one eighth. He ran a huge 108 speed in that start in which he sat just off the early leaders before cruising to the lead and winning easily. He’s never run on an off track and while his sire won the Epsom Derby his dam and her other two graded winning offspring did not fare well over a mile and one quarter.

#7 Spirit Journey 10/1
2017 Record – 2-0-1-0
Highest Level of Win – Listed
Pedigree – Invincible Spirit x Rainbow Quest x Nureyev
Analysis – Spirit Journey ended last season with a residency restricted listed win going one mile. He had a three month holiday before returning in another mile listed where he ran sixth but with a career best 99 speed. He’s made two starts over off tracks and was second both times. This includes his most recent race, the Grade Two No Allies at a mile and five sixteenths in what was a sneaky good race. He raced in third in the early going before mounting a rally. The race was won by the early leader but Spirit Journey was closing gamely and held off the late closers.

#8 Rocco Vino 41/1
2017 Record – 5-0-2-2
Highest Level of Win – Allowance
Pedigree – by Le Havre out of a Rock of Gibraltar x Phone Trick mare. He is the best of her four foals. Rocco Vino is from the family of grade one winner Waymart by Statue of Liberty. Waymart did his best running in middle distances on dirt.
Analysis – Rocco Vino needs a big turnaround in form to factor here. He has a career best speed of 82, a number which he has run twice this year both times in one mile races. The furthest he has ever run is a mile and one sixteenth and he’s won twice at that distance in HOT races. He made his debut on a good turf surface and he finished sixth that day. Rocco Vino ran in stakes races twice as a two year old but failed to hit the board. His pedigree is not one that you would normally see in mile and one half horses.

#9 Wolferts Roost 14/1
2017 Record – 3-0-1-2
Highest Level of Win – Maiden
Pedigree – by Gleneagles out of the Kingmambo x Danzig mare Mushy Taters. Mushy Taters produced the grade one winner Tizater by Tiznow who won earned her biggest score going a mile and one half over a good turf course.
Analysis – Wolferts Roost made his stakes debut in his last start, the Grade Two No Allies at a mile and five sixteenths over a good turf course. He ran a 90 speed while finishing third, beaten six lengths. Previously he ran a 95 speed when second in an allowance at a mile and three sixteenths. This colt obviously has talent and has a really nice pedigree (although Gleneagles did his best running at a mile) but this is a big step up. If he runs like his sister Tizater he could win her but that’s a big if.

#10 Galileo Figura 12/1
2017 Record – 3-1-2-0
Highest Level of Win – Maiden
Pedigree – by Galileo out of the grade one winning Kingmambo x Seattle Slew mare Bella Figura. She did her best running around a mile and one quarter on dirt. Her five other foals include two listed winners and a grade three winner by Roderic O’Connor.
Analysis – This may be the best bred colt in this contest but with only a maiden win to his credit he needs that pedigree to kick into gear big time. After losing both 2016 starts, Galileo Figura broke his maiden in his 2017 debut going a mile and one eighth. He jumped straight to stakes company , finishing second in a mile and three sixteenths listed with a 95 speed and then returning to run second again in a listed at a mile and one sixteenth with a 92 speed. This colt should sit off the pace but not too far back. At 12/1 if you like the pedigree potential he’s a juicy option.

#11 Phatranger 8/1
2017 Record – 2-0-0-0
Biggest Win Level – G1
Pedigree – by Bushranger out of a Green Desert x Mr. Prospector mare. The dam of fourteen foals, Phatranger is her first grade one winner but she also has a grade two winner by Bluegrass Cat and three stakes winners.
Analysis – Last season Phatranger won the Grade One Duetoburst Stakes. He does have a listed win at a mile and one sixteenth last November but he has failed to hit the board in three subsequent starts. Phatranger did run a career best 97 speed in December when seventh in the Grade One Futurity. Still his 2017 efforts leave a lot to be desired.

#12 English Moon 10/1
2017 Record – 2-0-0-1
Highest Win Level – Allowance
Pedigree – English Channel x Montjeu x Dansili
Analysis – English Moon broke his maiden going a mile last September and followed that with an allowance win over the same distance. After a disappointing effort in a listed he was gelded. He returned to the races going one mile where he finished fourth with a 95 speed. He tried a sprint in his most recent start, finishing third in a listed at seven and one half furlongs. English Channel did win the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Montjeu of course was a classic winner at this distance.

#13 Furious Fast 11/1
2017 Record – 3-2-1-0
Highest Level Win – Allowance
Pedigree – Fastnet Rock x Nureyev x Raise A Native
Analysis – Furious Fast is coming into this race with steady improvement in all three of his 2017 starts. He started with a maiden win at a mile and one eighth and then demolished an allowance field at a mile and three sixteenths. Most recently he ran third in the mile and one quarter Grade Three Force Stakes. That day he closed from last to be beaten only two lengths.
#14 Over Jo 10/1
2017 Record – 3-0-1-0
Highest Level Win – Listed
Pedigree – by Twice Over out of a Johannesburg x Nureyev mare. This is the second stakes winner out of the mare from four foals.
Analysis – Over Jo broke the triple digit speed barrier in his last start, the Grade three Doctor Is In Memorial at a mile and one sixteenth. He was second by two lengths in that start after trailing in last early on. Last year he won a local-bred listed going six furlongs. Twice Over was best at a mile and one quarter and Johannesburg tends to be a sprint influence so the pedigree is mixed. He’s never run on an off track so that’s another question mark for him.
Good Luck to All!